It is known to use a pre-combustion chamber in some internal combustion engine applications, such as gaseous fuel applications. Typically, a pre-combustion chamber is a relatively small gas accumulating chamber located in the engine cylinder head. The pre-combustion chamber is in fluid communication with the main combustion chamber of the engine via a number of small orifices. During operation, a spark plug ignites gaseous fuel within the pre-combustion chamber (as opposed to igniting the gaseous fuel in the main combustion chamber). Ignition of the gaseous fuel in the pre-combustion chamber creates a front of burning fuel which is jetted or otherwise advanced through the orifices and into the main combustion chamber thereby igniting the gaseous fuel therein.
The temperature in the pre-combustion chamber is extremely hot, which is detrimental to the life of the sparkplug and the pre-combustion chamber tip. To reduce temperatures of some of the pre-combustion chamber components, it is known to utilize a cooled pre-combustion chamber assembly.
EP 1 091 104 B1 discloses a cooled pre-combustion chamber assembly that has first, second and third body portions. The pre-combustion chamber has a sparkplug receiving bore with a threaded bore portion for mounting the spark plug and sparkplug cooling passageway that is adapted to pass cooling fluid flow in close proximity relative to the threaded bore portion to cool the spark plug.
While the assembly disclosed in the '104 patent may be suitable in some applications, in other applications, the assembly may provide sufficient cooling fluid flow to optimally cool the pre-combustion chamber components.